Locomotive-drive-box wedge assembly



Jan. 3, 1928.

w. A. o'Toou-z LOGOMOTIVE DRIVE BOX WEDGE ASSEMBLY Filed Dec. 51, 1926 Patented Jan. 3, 192,8,- i I c UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE,

WILLIAM'A. OTOOLE, PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA;

LOCOMOTIVE-DRIVE-BGX wnnen ASSEMBLY.

Application filed December 31, 1926. sriar'no. 158,232

The present invention relates to loc01no- Inasmuch as the general arrangement and. tive drive boxes and more particularly to an construction of parts is similar to that shown adjustable wedge assembly therefor, and in my. said patent, theparts have not been constitutes a specific improvement on the illustrated'in connection with the complete constructionshown in my prior Patent No. driving box assembly, .such assembly being 1,580,526, dated April 13, 1926. clearly shown in Figure 1 of my said patent.

In the construction shown in my said In the drawing, Q'designatesthe pedestal patent there is a wedge interposed between bruceof the locomotive frame, 3 is the inthe driving box of the locomotive and the teriorly threaded sleeve passing'thrOughthe In pedestal in which the driving box is slidably pedestal brace and havin a flange 4 at its mounted. The wedge is yieldably supported upper end and having a threaded lower end on a spring which is carried at the top of a portion on which is carried a lock nut 5.

non-rotatable bolt whose threaded shank is The lower extremity of the sleeve is squared received in a threaded sleeve rotatably to facilitate the turning thereof bya wrench, 15 mounted in the pedestal brace of the locomosuch squared portion being designated 6. tive frame. A guard 7 is preferably secured to the ped- It has been found by experiment that any estal brace for protecting the lower extremspring which can be fitted into the relaity of the sleeve. The under-surfaceof the tively small space between the lower end of flange 4: preferably provided with prothe driving box wedge and the top of the jections 8 that cooperate with recesses in the bolt and which is heavy enough to support surface of the pedestal brace to normally the weight of the wedge against the thrust hold the sleeve against rotation, as fully of the drive box will not give any very exexplained in my said patent. tensive movement between its fully com- Screwed into the sleeve'3, which is in- 25 pressed or solid position and its fully exteriorly threaded, is the threaded shank of] panded position. In order to secure the a supporting post or bolt 9 having a'square most satisfactory results, it is necessary that or suitably non-circular enlarged head por the spring shall provide for a relatively contion 10. In the top of the head portion 10 siderable movement of the wedge before the a relativelydeep socket 11. The sides of 30 spring has expanded from afully comthe socket-are slotted at two diametrically 5 pressed to a fully extended position. opposite points, as indicated at 12, such slots According to the present invention, the extending down into the sides of the socket same general construction as that shown in approximately half of the depth thereof, my said patentis employed, but the arrange- Received in the socket 11 is a'so-called' Bell- 35 ment is modified to permit of the use of ville type spring 13. This spring consists-9o I the so-called Bellville type of spring. This merely of a series of reversely arrangeddiscs type of spring consists merely in aseries of or washers of spring metal. oppositely dished discs of spring metal. The non-circular head portion 10 of the Such a spring will support'a maximum load bolt is received in a transverse slot 14 in the 40 with a maximum amount of expansion. lower portion of a driving box wedge 15 The invention may be readily understood having flanges 16 at each side thereof. The by reference to theaccompanying drawings,'-itlanges 16 preferably terminate above the in which lowermost end of the wedge, providing Figure 1 is a view partly in section and shoulders at 17. Projecting down from the 45 partly in elevation, showing the outer face transverse slot 14- in the lower part of theof the driving box wedge in elevation and wedge is a tongue 18 which is adapted to showing the lower part of the wedge and fit into and be received in the slots 12 in the the supporting means therefor in section; head portion of the bolt. -This tongue rests Figure 2 is a perspective view of the lower on the top of the Bellville type spring 13 so 50 end portion of the wedge; that as the spring expands it willurgethe Figure 3 is aside elevation of the supwedge 15 upwardly. 7 i

porting bolt showing the upper end thereof In the sides of the slot 14 below'the head in section, and g 10 of the bolt are flanges 19 for cooperation Figure 4; is a top plan view of the bolt with the under-surface 20 of the head 10 of,

' '55 shown in Figure 3. the bolt, for limiting the relative sliding As the spring expands and (ill movement between the wedge and the head of the bolt. 7

Screwed on to the threaded shank 9 of the bolt is a follower 21 which is substantially U-shaped. This follower serves to indicate the distance which the spring 13 has expanded so that a mechanic can quickly tell when it is necessary to turn the sleeve 3 to set the bolt 9 up again to put the spring un der iurther compression. The nature of this indication is fully explained in my said patent. The amount which the spring has expanded is indicated by the distance be tween the upper end portions 21 of the follower 21 and the shoulders 17 of the wedge. When the spring is compressed solid the shoulders 17 are substantially in contact with the upper ends 21 of the follower 21. the wedge moves upwardly, due to wear which develops in the driving box wedge, the distance between 17 and 21 increases. It the mechanic knows that the maximum expansion of the spring is for instance seven-eighths of an inch he can readily tell when it is necessary to set up the bolt 9.

The advantages of the invention resides in the use of a Bellville type spring in the confined space and between the adjusting post and the driving box wedge so that the greatest possible amount of free action can be secured with the necessary resistance to the weight of the wedge, and support it against the thrust of the driving box. A Bellville or multiple disk type of spring of a convenient diameter for a locomotive drive box wedge will have a much greater free action with a suificient resistance to the thrust and weight to which it is subject, than a coil or volute spring of a consider" ably greater diameter. It, therefore, becomes apparent that the present invention renders the assembly shown in my prior patent far more efficient without increasing the cost of the assembly and while securing all of the.

advantages obtained by the compact nature of the assembly shown in my said patent.

The provision of the slots 12 in the head 10 and the provision of the tongue 18 on the wedge allows the spring to be confined so that the discs can not become displaced,

and at the same time provides for the resilient support of the wedge on the springs. The depth of the slots 12 is substantially equal to the maximum reaction of the spring.

In the normal operation of the invention the post or bolt 9 is set up to a position where the tongue 18 of the wedge compresses springs, holding wedge sufficiently tight, while permitting of still further compression to offset the dropping of wheel below running line. As wear develops in the driving box wedge, expansion of the spring. When the full amount of expansion has taken place, and the amount oi expansion can be determined at any time without taking the assembly apart, the bolt 9 is again set up to compress the spring to its former position.

It will be understood that I have shown and described a preferred embodiment of my invention, but that the invention may be otherwise embodied and various changes and modiications made in the construction and arrangement of parts within the contempla tion oi my invention and under the scope of the following claims.

1 claim:

. 1. An adjustin wedges including an interiorly threaded sleeve, a bolt threaded into the sleeve, and a multiple disk type of spring retained on the.

upper end or the bolt.

An ad'usting screw mechanism for drive o'l ,,the sides oi the socket being slotted, and. a multiple disk type of spring in thesoc'ket.

i. A driving box wedge assembly including a wedge, an ad ustable post, and a mul tipledisk type of spring interposed between" the post and the wedge.

An ad ustable wedge assembly for 10- comotive drive boxes including a wedge hav-.,

ing' a transverse slot in the lower end thereof, a post having a non-circular head slidably received in the slot, a multiple disk type of spring mounted in the upper end of the post,

and means for adjusting the postvertically.

6. An adjustable wedge assembly for locolTlOtlXQ drive boxes including a wedge hav mg a slotted lower end portion and having a tongue in the top of the slot of such lower the wedge is urged up by the mechanism for drive box,

end portion, a post having a non-circular head sliiilably received in the slot in .the lower end of the wedge, said post having a socket in the head portion thereof, the sides of the socket being slotted at two diametrically opposite points for receiving said tongue, and a multiple disk type of spring in the socket. 7

7. An adjustable wedge assembly for locomotive drive boxes including a wedge, a post slidably and non-rotatably engaging the wedge, and a multiple disk type of spring operatively interposed and confined between the wedge and the post.

In testimony whereof it my hand. v

WILLIAM A. OTOOLE.

have hereunto set 

